Gordon thrives under pressure of stardom

Dick Brinster

Thursday, Feb. 11, 1999 | 10:30 a.m.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- For Jeff Gordon, fame in the fast lane means a fishbowl existence and avoiding slip-ups amid all the attention.

One hint of scandal, and he'll ruin his can-do-no-wrong image. But that kind of pressure doesn't bother him because, he insists, he is genuine.

"I feel like I live the life I preach," he said.

So, the next time he jumps out of his car in the winner's circle and thanks God, the 27-year-old Gordon won't worry that some fans might think he's insincere.

"I've been blessed," said Gordon, who begins defense of his series title from the pole Sunday in the season-opening Daytona 500. "I've got a lot of things to be thankful for."

One of them is being stock car racing's biggest star. Another is being unafraid of controversy.

"If something needs to be said, I'll step up and say it," he explained.

Last year, Gordon took issue with fellow driver Rusty Wallace, claiming he intentionally crashed into him in a race in Richmond, Va. And he fired back at car owner Jack Roush, who questioned whether all of Gordon's record-tying 13 victories were within the rules.

Roush said he had been told Gordon's car was at times running on tires that had been treated with chemicals to make them perform better. NASCAR investigated and cleared Gordon of any wrongdoing.

Still, he doesn't feel he's above criticism, and says he's not trying to create a perfect image off the track.

"I'm not going to say that sometimes I don't exceed the speed limit on the highway, " he said. "But I have a clean life."

Does he consider himself a role model?

"Yes. I don't feel like I have any choice, with the way kids look up to us today," he said. "But I don't mind being one.

"Just don't go around telling the kids to live this way and turn around and do the opposite. I'm not a very good liar, so if I was doing that I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt."

In an age when so many wealthy athletes have gone astray, Gordon seems immune to it.

He says his strong family upbringing in California and Indiana, and his high-profile marriage to former Miss Winston beauty queen Brooke Sealy have made it easy.

"I don't do drugs, I don't smoke and I have a wonderful wife who keeps me very grounded," he said with a laugh. "It's pretty easy to stay out of trouble."

Perhaps the biggest obstacle for Gordon was an attempt by some fans to destroy his image.

Until recently there was an Internet site on which Gordon was advised to leave God out of post-race interviews. Detractors also criticized his wife for overdressing at the track, and floated a rumor last year that he was dead.

"Some things are beyond our control, so Brooke and I just live our lives and don't pay any attention to it," he explained. "It's why I don't go on the Internet or pick up the papers every day."

That's not an escape, however. As he rewrites the NASCAR record book, Gordon is well aware that many fans don't like him because he wins so many races.

He is regularly booed during pre-race introductions and fans cheer on rare occasions when he wrecks, has mechanical problems or finishes poorly.

"I don't take it personally," Gordon said. "I take it almost as a compliment.

"I'm doing something they don't want me to do, something that's not making them happy."

That something is dominating what had been the world's most competitive racing circuit.

"What motivates Jeff ... is the next race," said crew chief Ray Evernham, who has called the shots for each of Gordon's victories. "It seems like the better you do, the more you get motivated."

Gordon has been motivated enough to win 42 races in his career, and last year earned a record $9.3 million at an age when most racers are hoping for a few thousand just to stay on the track.

The three-time Winston Cup champion figures he has become a natural target of fans who simply want other drivers to win. But he understands their reaction.

"That's why sometimes I seem to smile more when they get loud," he said.

But he's starting to hear less booing, even in the wake of a runaway victory last year that put him in position to become only the second driver to win three consecutive championships.

"I think consistency has a lot to do with it," Gordon said. "If you're a contender week in and week out, you earn a lot of respect."

Respect away from the track has rarely been a problem for the affable Gordon. He accepts his role as a celebrity, especially around his Charlotte, N.C., home, where he is as recognizable as a major star in Hollywood.

"We're entertainers, so we have to understand that," he said of demands made on race drivers. "People want to see you, they want to be near you, they want to talk to you, they want your autograph."

Does he ever tire of the routine?

"No, I understand that this goes along with the growth of the sport," Gordon said. "A fan will see you eating dinner and says to himself, 'This is my opportunity.'

"Sometimes, the timing can be a little inappropriate, like when somebody wants an autograph just after you've picked up your fork."

But Gordon will smile and sign - perhaps for someone who booed him at the track. And just about anything will be offered for his autograph.

"I signed a dog," he said incredulously.